Published by Triangle Square

Summary:  Teenagers lurk in the shadow of Mrs. Lucy’s garage.  Before she can stop them, they’ve spray-painted it with graffiti.  The next morning, she paints over the words, chasing the kids away when they start to play ball near her house.  They move on, but they don’t let Tasha join them.  Disheartened, Tasha offers to help Mrs. Lucy, and the two of them finish the job, then have a snack together.  That night, the cycle repeats itself, with Mrs. Lucy and Tasha doing clean-up together in the morning.  On the third night, Mrs. Lucy hides in the bushes by her garage, determined to catch the culprit.  This time, though, there’s only one kid–Tasha.  “I just–I just wanted to come over again,” she stammers when Mrs. Lucy catches her.  They make plans to work together in the morning.  32 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  An unusual and thought-provoking story with intriguing illustration by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young. 

Cons:  Kids may need to brush up their inferencing skills to understand what is going on in the story.